


Those Days Are Gone Forever

by rebelforce



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/F, following the events of Before the Awakening, poor baby Rey, she's too sweet for these evil people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-12-21 13:46:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11945532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebelforce/pseuds/rebelforce
Summary: Rey's friendship with Jess digs up memories of someone from long ago... someone that Rey would rather forget.





	Those Days Are Gone Forever

**Author's Note:**

> There was a story written by landocalrissian (the AO3 writer, not the character lol) called "to fly or to fall" for femme slash week that inspired this. It's a really great one shot, so I encourage you to give it a read if you liked this! Rey's backstory is rarely explored in regards to Devi, so I wanted to delve into it...

It was raining on D'Qar. Not the sprinkling rain that Rey liked, calming and steady, but the kind that fell in sheets, the sound of it against the roof almost deafening.The kind that grounded starships and got her off the hook for training with Luke for the day. 

The base was full of people today, resistance personnel that would typically be working outside, but the weather had brought them in, causing the hallways to be fuller than usual. Rey found herself side stepping often, too many bodies in tight quarters. Voices bounced off the walls around her, snippets of conversation that made no sense clouding her thoughts and driving her a little crazy. 

The darkness of the sky outside was making Rey feel a bit melancholy, and while she wasn't particularly sad, she had the sudden urge to find a friend to talk to, of only to avoid retreating too far into her own mind. Luke said she did that too often. 

Rey found herself nearing the hangar, her footsteps becoming louder as she ventured down hallways with less bodies in them. It was a lucky happenstance that she found herself on this end of their base, but the likeliness of finding friends in here was high. 

Specifically, Rey realized that she'd very much like to bump into Jessika Pava. They'd gotten closer over the last few months that Rey had been with the Resistance, and Rey was enjoying the difference in her friendship with Jess from her friendship with Finn. 

Where Finn was cautious and protective, Jess was adventurous and encouraging. There was an air of freedom to Jess, as if nothing could tie her down. Jess was a meteor, flying through space, colliding into whomever crossed her path, whether they liked it or not. 

Rey occasionally found herself jealous of the young pilot's ability to act now and think later. It was a skill set Jess had learned from years of training in the Academy. Rey had seen her fly almost recklessly into danger, throwing caution to the wind. It was the exact behavior that Rey knew Luke had practiced in his youth, but frowned upon now. It made Jess all the more enticing. 

The cold dura steel doors slid open to grant her entrance as she approached, and the lack of bustling energy in the room was relieving. After so many years of isolation, Rey found constant company to be exhausting. 

The pilot she'd been seeking was in fact where she predicted. Jess was standing to face her x-wing, and even from across the room Rey could tell that something was puzzling her with it. Instead of her typical orange flight suit, Jess was sporting casual pants and a black tank top. Rey found herself a bit too invested in the outfit change.

Jess turned and smiled as she approached, her arms crossed over her chest. The panels on the nose of the starship had been removed, the wires tumbling around and lights flashing about. The inside of a ship was exciting, one of Rey's favorite puzzles.

"What are you doing here?" Jess's tone was friendly, as if Rey was a pleasant surprise. 

"I was taking a walk. It's pretty cramped out there today though, needed somewhere quiet." Rey smooth a piece of hair from her face, suddenly self conscious under Jess's gaze. "I can go, though, if you're busy." 

"No! Don't go." Jess grinned, stepping forward to look up into her shop. "I could use some help here, if you're willing." 

Rey, always ready to show off to Jess, took the spot beside her. "What are you doing, exactly?" 

"The targeting computer's shot. I spent the entirety of our past mission skewing to the left. If you could just hold back these wires here..." Jess pressed her hand on the inside of the panel, showing Rey where to hold the wires. 

Rey reached in and covered Jess's hand with her own. She could have sworn she saw Jess's cheeks flush, but the pilot had withdrawn and turned around before Rey could be sure. 

They worked in silence for some time, their arms brushing against each other occasionally. Rey liked watching Jess work, her dark hair pulled back into a pony tail. The gentle way she moved within her ship was an example of how much she adored the thing, every bolt and wire an extension of herself. 

It had been a while since Rey had worked on a piece of machinery with another person. Growing up on Jakku had proven to be an isolating experience, her only companions her tools and the little doll she'd crafted from orange fabric and twine. Rey had only once opened up to the idea of a friend, a fellow scavenger girl about her age by the name of Devi. 

But that had gone very poorly.

Jess was different. At least, the way Jess smiled made Rey feel different, and that was enough to make her shed old emotions. Jess didn't have it in her to be like Devi. Jess's heart was too large, her smile too wide, her intentions too genuine. 

A warm hand was settling on her shoulder, and it brought Rey out of her head. Jess was looking at her, an amused expression on her face. 

"Force vision? Panic attack? Sudden realization that I'm super boring to hang out with?" 

Rey laughed at Jess's attempt at humor. "Ghosts of the past, you could say." 

Jess nodded, understanding. "Anyone in particular?" 

There was a beat before Rey spoke again, wondering whether or not it was worth delving into that particular time in her life. It was enough time for Jess to remove her hand from Rey's skin and for Rey to realize she'd liked it there. 

"You remind me of a... friend that I used to have. From Jakku." 

"Oh?" Jess cocked her head to the side. "You've never mentioned any friends before." 

"She wasn't really a friend, I suppose. Not by the end." 

Jess sat down on a crate, patting the spot next to her, while she wiped sweat from her brow. "Well if she wasn't a friend I'm not sure I'm flattered that I remind you of her." 

"No, not like that." Rey sat down, resting her elbows on her knees. "She was smart, good with ships, like you. Talked a lot, though, which got pretty annoying on the particularly hot days." 

"Poe tells me I talk a lot." Jess teased, her expression sly. 

"That's different. I like what you have to say." Rey was looking down at her boots, as though meeting Jess's gaze would make her less brave. 

Jess was gracious enough not to comment. "What happened to the girl?" 

"Her name was Devi. She caught me fixing parts and stowing them away." Rey chewed on her bottom lip, relaying a story she'd intended to forget. "I'd found a Ghtroc 690 freighter. Practically perfect. It just needed some work and I could sell it for credits." 

"Wow." 

"Devi offered to help me fix it, for half the credits." Rey shrugged, kicking at a stray bolt on the floor. "Still not sure why I agreed to it, but I said yes." 

Jess was watching her, picking apart her expression. "What happened?" 

"We worked on it for about a year before it was finished. She tricked me. I told her to guard the ship and before I could come back for it, the engines had started and Devi was gone." Rey's eyes were far away, lost in a misery from years ago. Tears were blurring her vision, and she tried to shake them away. 

"Rey." Jess placed a hand on her knee, squeezing just lightly, as if she could pull the agony out of her. 

"Sorry," Rey wiped a rogue tear. "I didn't know that story would still effect me like that." 

"I shouldn't have asked. That was personal." 

"No, really, don't," Rey sniffled, laughing a bit as if it dispel the tension. "I'm pretty used to that sort of thing happening, by now." 

Jess understood the implications of Rey's words. "You know we're not going to leave you, right?" 

Rey shrugged, looking around the hangar. "There would certainly be a lot more ships to steal." 

Jess moved her hand to Rey's back, rubbing slow circles into the fabric of her top. "You're important to the Resistance. To Finn and Leia." 

"What about you?" Rey looked at her finally, her brown eyes reflective with tears. 

Jess paused, confused. "What about me?" 

"Am I important to you?" Rey whispered the question, as if she wasn't sure she'd wanted to ask it. 

Jess blushed, and Rey felt her stomach somersault deep within her belly. She'd never somersaulted with Devi. "More important than is appropriate, I'm afraid." 

Rey smiled now, leaning into Jess's touch. "Show me just how important I am to you." 

Jess's eyes dusted over Rey's face, as if to make sure that she meant it. She leaned forward finally, and the two met in a gentle kiss, one that deepened as the seconds ticked past. 

They were both smiling when they pulled away, and Jess tangled their fingers together. "Was that the real reason you traipsed into here today?" 

Rey grinned, rubbing her thumb on the back of Jess's hand. "Truthfully, my intentions were innocent. This, however, was a pleasant surprise." 

"I love surprises." Jess whispered, kissing Rey again. 

Rey had kissed Devi once. It was at the end of a long day, and they'd finally scrounged up the hyperdrive needed to get the freighter running. Rey still isn't sure what fueled the show of affection, whether it be exhaustion or sheer ecstasy, but Devi had laughed and punched her sun burned shoulder. 

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Rey." Devi had said, turning to walk away. "This is a business transaction." 

She'd tasted of salt and sand, both rugged and unforgiving substances in the wrong hands. 

Jess tasted like mint and the juice from the mess hall, both things that Rey had begun to associate with her new home. 

Truthfully, as Jess smiled at her again, Rey knew she'd have to let memories of Devi go. She'd replace that sadness and heartache with the way Jess made her heart jump, with the way she knew unfathomably that Jess could be trusted. 

Under the sound of the rain on rooftops, in the midst of starships and resistance workers, Rey left Devi behind, just as Devi had done to her years ago. She wasn't even a little sad.

**Author's Note:**

> I swear on my life I'll update Racing By soon... lol


End file.
